Athens-Clarke County police officer and former Madison County Sheriff’s candidate Brenan Baird has been named Danielsville’s new police chief.

The city council voted to hire Baird at a special called meeting June 24. Baird will assume the chief’s duties after he works a two-week notice with Clarke County.

Mayor Todd Higdon said Baird’s salary has been set at $41,500 per year, an increase over former police chief Matt Pilkington’s $37,000 salary.

“We agreed to increase the next chief’s salary before we hired him (Baird),” Higdon said of the pay raise. “We looked at salaries in surrounding counties and felt we needed to increase it … you get what you pay for.”

Higdon said the council is striving to move the city forward in all aspects, and will now build its police force around Baird, allowing him to select future officers. “I feel like this is a really good move for the city of Danielsville,” Higdon said.

Baird ran in the Republican primary for sheriff of Madison County in 2012.